LTO: Motorcycle license plates backlog to be cleared in two years

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26) — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Tuesday that it would take two years before it can clear the backlog for motorcycle license plates.

“Itong problema natin sa motorcycles…Hindi lang po yung delivery of the plates, pati po yung production. We anticipate it will take us a little over two years to finish the entire 13 million,” LTO Chairman Vigor Mendoza told senators at the continuation of the Department of Transportation budget hearing on Tuesday.

[Translation: This is our problem with motorcycles...It's not just the delivery of the plates but also the production.]

Mendoza said that there is a current backlog of 13 million motorcycle license plates and 80,000 motor vehicle plates.

The LTO chief clarified the 1.8 million motor vehicle license plates that remain unclaimed are replacement plates and are not part of the backlog.

“By October po both for motor vehicle and motorcycle, we will be able to deliver the plates immediately,” Mendoza added.

He earlier told CNN Philippines’ The Source that the monthly allocation is 1 million for motorcycles and 250,000 for motor vehicles.

The LTO said it ordered over 15.9 million license plates and the supplier has delivered almost 1 million so far.

Some machines are currently under maintenance but full production will begin next month, with a capacity of 42,000 plates per day, it added.

“By some time in October, kapag nakabili kayo ng motorsiklo, eh mabibigyan muna natin ng plaka yan para di madagdagan yung backlog. While we are also dedicating some machines to cover the backlog,” Mendoza added.

[Translation: By some time in October, when you buy a motorcycle, we will give the plates so that it won't add to the backlog.]